Loca
Kristina Freeman
Booklocker.com
ISBN: 978-1-60145-299-3
Soft cover
249 pages
In Kristina Freeman’s novel, Loca, a car
accident sends a troubled wife and mother into a barren desert and along the
Rio Grande in search of safety and the self awareness that will ground her
to what is good and solid in her life. Freeman’s writing expresses an
intimate knowledge of human frailty and the power of healing.
Addie and Mark Welkin travel to Terlingua, Texas in
hopes of re-connecting the bond that has loosened during their marriage. The
couple sign up for a three-day canoe trip on the Rio Grande. The physical
and mental challenge of the excursion is intended to fortify the pair as a
couple and as individuals. Mark likes things to go exactly has he expects
them to go every time; he strives to be less restricted and more open on the
trip. Addie, who has experienced a loss of self as a result of her
day-to-day responsibilities as homemaker and wife, sets goals to relax, to
be spontaneous, and to be happy. Lead by Greeley, a native of the area who
openly practices his belief in a “spirit guide,” the Welkins explore the
United States and Mexico sides of the Rio Grande. During the three days,
Addie and Mark argue, laugh, make love, and hope; they rediscover the deep
love they share for each other. But, it is on the final day of their
vacation (after surviving the canoe trip and the threat of Mexican bandits)
that Addie and Mark face unexpected danger.
Freeman takes the reader on a journey in this book. The
story zigzags between the present and the recent past. Small pieces of the
couple’s life are revealed throughout the book, requiring the reader to
collect the information and hold every bit of it near in anticipation of
stringing things together at the end. Addie is presented in layers. She is
an anxious wreck, a devoted wife and mother, and a woman who needs to find
herself: “In her attempts to build a home and life of comfort, she had lost
herself. Lost her direction.” The glimpses into Addie’s home life provide
insight into the confusion she exhibits during the trip and after the tragic
accident that ends the couple’s week of rejuvenation.
Loca is a wonderful, intense story of love and
survival.
Melissa Levine
For Independent Professional Book Reviewers
www.bookreviewers.org
11/23/07
